by Alex Funkhouser
Hereâs how you can make money resolutions for 2024 that will improve your finances all year long.
Improving finances is a common resolution for the New Year. In 2023, 53% of Americans who set resolutions wanted to prioritize getting their finances in order. While that figure has dropped to 38% for 2024, it is still the second-most popular resolution after improving fitness.
Unfortunately, most resolutions are abandoned before February rolls around. In fact, studies have found that only 9% of Americans who make resolutions actually complete them.
Habit and productivity expert James Clear offers a solution to this common goal-setting problem. Instead of creating a measurable goal with a specific time frame, Clear recommends creating identity-based habits in order to meet your goals.
It almost makes you want to just resign yourself to bad money habits for life.
But rather than give up on the idea of self-improvement, why not change how you make your financial resolutions? Here are three ways to create New Yearâs money resolutions that you can keep.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ EMILY GUY BIRKEN: https://www.fastcompany.com/91001007/how-to-make-new-years-financial-resolutions-that-stick
by Alex Funkhouser
Even though the end of the year can be busy, job searchers can still make progress during the holiday season.
The months leading up to the festive season can be busy. Youâre trying to wrap up projects before the new year, set new goals, attend seasonal gatherings, and, of course, snag a few days off to spend time with your family. Add searching for a job on top of all of this and it can become even more overwhelming.
This festive season, donât let these opportunities pass you by. upload you resume, and take advantage of organized companies already looking for new hires.
As such, you have every reason to want to shut your laptop, chuck on your comfy clothes, and sit in front of the TV for a few days. But Iâm here to tell you why you should not give up this winter.
In fact, here are five reasons that you shouldnât press pause on your job searchâeven during the holidays.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ ANDREW FENNELL:
by Alex Funkhouser
Okay, maybe not everything. But classic Christmas movies have a lot to teach us about our relationship to money.
While holiday movies seem to be pretty straightforward as a genre, thereâs no avoiding some of the money lessons baked right into the story.
A Christmas Carol teaches us that sometimes ghostly intervention is the only way to ensure employers pay a living wage.
Itâs a Wonderful Life makes it clear that a heartless commitment to capitalism is the leading cause of Christmas Eve despair (and angelic intervention).
Even Die Hard teaches us the folly of putting too much weight on fancy presentsâlike Rolex watches. But not all money lessons are as easy to see beneath the feel-good stories of families coming together, love conquering all, and the inevitability of shooting oneâs eye out. As you settle down to enjoy these three holiday classics, keep an eye out for the financial lessons you might be picking up while watching without previously realizing it.
Read the complete Fast Company article BY EMILY GUY BIRKEN: https://www.fastcompany.com/90997860/financial-lessons-from-classic-christmas-movies
by Alex Funkhouser
The holiday season is a great time to show your appreciation to the service providers, caregivers, and workers who help improve your life year-round. Hereâs how you can say thank you without busting your budget.
December is a traditional time to express your year-round gratitude with a generous tipâand it can certainly help workers make ends meet as the year winds down. But holiday tipping can add to an already overloaded financial plate.
Giving generously to all of your service providers may not fit in your budget. Thatâs why itâs important to prioritize your giving based on how often you see these providers. Specifically, which service providers help you out on a weekly or monthly basis all year long, compared to those you only see once or twice a year.
Understanding the etiquette and expectations around seasonal tipping can help you navigate this unspoken aspect of giving culture and let your service providers know how much you appreciate them.
IS HOLIDAY TIPPING REQUIRED?
Mr. Pink may have famously asserted that tipping is never truly required, but we all know that not tipping at restaurants or on delivery apps is churlish, at best. Providing a tip to a server, barista, hairdresser, or delivery driver is now an expected part of a service transaction.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ EMILY GUY BIRKEN: https://www.fastcompany.com/90993978/holiday-tipping-guide
by Alex Funkhouser
Natalie Nixon introduces a new approach to operating called: the motor framework.
Hereâs a question thatâs been keeping me up at night: What if our most productive selves are not when weâre churning through email, on Zoom, or at the whiteboard?
Instead, what if our productivity is enhanced when we step away from the computer, the desk, and traditionally defined workplaces? What if delving into activity that activates our brainâs default mode network is the place to be?Â
The future of work presupposes a familiarity with virtual reality, big data, and AI. Those will be table stakes. The best-in-class work environments will need people with a heightened creative capacity.
We work in an era marked by unprecedented burnout, hybrid work environments with evolving rules, and attempts to manage ubiquitous technology. These three drivers beg for a different way of thinking about work.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ NATALIE NIXON: https://www.fastcompany.com/90989939/new-way-to-think-about-work-for-2024
by Alex Funkhouser
Emotional intelligence expert Harvey Deutschendorf details how self-awareness can help even the most nervous interviewer.
Self-awareness is not only the basis of both professional and personal growth but a crucial ingredient in any job interview.Â
Traditionally, as job seekers, we spend much of our time and effort perfecting our resumes to showcase and highlight our skills, as well as thinking about how we will respond to questions such as âTell me about yourself.â While the focus is on technical skills and past experience, the fact that we are being interviewed tells us that employers have already decided that we have the necessary skills for the position. What hiring managers want to learn during the interview process is how we will fit into their organization and whether we have the personal attributes to excel in the job.
âan interview in the most basic sense is a set of questions about you, the more you know yourself the better youâll do.â
This is where self-awareness can help us stand out from the other applicants. Being self-aware can allow us to show self-confidence, authenticity, and adaptability. It helps us show our strengths in the optimal light and talk about our weaknesses in a manner that will not turn the interviewers off.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ HARVEY DEUTSCHENDORF: https://www.fastcompany.com/90986294/why-self-awareness-is-the-secret-to-a-successful-job-interview
